In eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column The 501(C) Suite, leading foundation executives share what they are working on and thinking about with the wider philanthropic field. 

March is Women’s History Month, and these days celebration must come in the form of action. Despite undeniable progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership, leaving much of our talent and potential on the sidelines. With so much at stake in our community and in our country, all of us can do more to invest in women’s leadership and gender equality — not just because it is the right thing to do but because it is essential for building the strong, vibrant future we seek. The question we need to ask is not why we should invest in women’s leadership, but why have we not done more already? 

That is why I was pleased to read JFN’s newly released Gender Lens Philanthropy: The Complete Guide to Promote Gender Equity through Strategic Philanthropy. I deeply appreciate the project’s authors and team of experts for producing this excellent resource: This is not an easy time to be pushing forward in the fight for gender equality, which makes JFN’s commitment to this work even more courageous and valuable.

While the guide speaks to funders active in Israel, its recommendations must be applied here in the U.S. as well. By now, we know the reasons. Supporting women and fighting on behalf of the vulnerable is an expression of our Jewish values. As women’s rights and wellbeing continue to face existential threats, it’s imperative that Jewish funders stand firm and step up. And the research is on our side: Investing in women strengthens families, communities, organizations, economies and democracies, creating the kind of rising tide our society so deeply needs right now. 

It is vital that we commit to ensuring women have the power to lead, to contribute fully to our Jewish community and to help shape a better future for us all. What can this look like? To fuel our thinking, I turned to six experts who lead grantee organizations in our portfolio for recommendations on what funders can do to tap into our community’s full talent pool.

Create seats at the table

Philanthropy needs to do more than fund programs: it must create seats at the table where women hold decision-making power in communal leadership and funding bodies. It can also offer more sustained support. Too often, funding for women — especially Latina women and women of color — is project or crisis-based. What we need are unrestricted dollars that allow leaders to build, scale and sustain their impact. 

— Analucía Lopezrevoredo, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Jewtina y Co. 

Show leadership and caregiving are compatible 

When it comes to driving gender equity in leadership, one of the most effective moves we can make is to counter the assumption that you can’t be a leader and a primary caregiver at the same time. Leaders, boards and search committees can all do more to expose this myth. For an example, we can look to Rose Marcario, a former CEO of Patagonia, who opened an on-site childcare at the company’s headquarters. She was committed to making the company parent-friendly not just in theory, but in an immediately visible way. 

— Gali Cooks, President and Chief Executive Officer, Leading Edge

Increase funding for programs and benefits supporting women 

For too long, gender equity has been treated as an afterthought in philanthropy. To change this, it is essential to pursue two goals in parallel: ensuring all funding is viewed through a gender lens; and increasing direct support for organizations and programs advancing women and gender equity, areas that have long been underfunded. This must go hand in hand with deeper research on gender dynamics within the Jewish community, so investments align with real needs.

Additionally, funders can lead by encouraging or requiring grantees to offer paid leave, reproductive health care, flexible work options, transparent pay and other policies that promote dignity and fairness in the workplace.

— Sheila Katz, Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Jewish Women

Learn how your issue areas affect women 

Women make up 50.05% of the U.S. population, and yet only 2% of philanthropic dollars are directed to work that focuses on supporting women. This does not mean your funding priorities need to change; rather, explore how your existing work impacts women, and shape your funding accordingly. Even within Israel and antisemitism, there is work being done by nonprofits that address how women are uniquely affected. If you are thinking about directing your philanthropy to women, reach out to an organization doing the work to learn about the many gaps and needs in the field.  

— Meredith Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Women International

Engage men as stakeholders

Men need to reframe the way we think about gender equity. We aren’t just allies who care when someone else is hurt. We are stakeholders who need to recognize that this issue impacts us directly too. Ask the women in your life what they need and how you can help. I also encourage men to invite other men into the work. The best messenger to bring more men along is another man. Finally, be a mentor. The fight for gender equity must also include an investment in young men. 

— Oren Jacobson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Project Shema

Provide coaching, mentoring and support

I recommend that foundations conduct a gender equity audit to assess what size and percentage of their grants are made to women-focused issues or women-led organizations. I would also like to see more women receive coaching, mentoring, support and opportunities to be at decision making tables so they can contribute their talents and rise to CEO positions, including at the largest organizations in our system. Lastly, we need to focus not just on egregious “red flag behavior” but also on “orange flag behavior” that would not qualify as harassment or discrimination but still undercuts women’s ability to succeed. 

— Rachel Gildiner, Executive Director, SRE Network

I am grateful for these vital and actionable insights, and they come at the perfect time. Women are already decision makers with philanthropic capital, and McKinsey reports that women are set to receive $30 trillion of assets in the unfolding “Great Wealth Transfer.” This shift is significant both because it will amplify women’s voices at the table of philanthropy, and because women direct resources to women and girls at far greater rates than men.

I urge all funders to build on this momentum by ensuring a strong pipeline for women’s leadership and open access to positions of influence and impact. We need new models of leadership and to leverage a broader range of ideas, perspectives and networks to navigate the urgent challenges we face and the opportunities they carry. In addition to c3 funding to organizations, giving c4 dollars is also an effective way to ensure we can secure and maintain wins for women now and in the future. 

To see Israel and the Jewish People thrive, we need to bring the full resources of our community to bear. Every funder should consider how they can contribute a percentage of their giving portfolio to advance women’s leadership, rights and safety, even within their current funding priorities. 

It’s a cruel irony that women’s contributions to society are under threat at the precise moment when they are needed most. The good news is that philanthropy has the power to help change this reality — and with these ideas in mind, Jewish philanthropy can lead the way. 

Lisa Eisen is co-president of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which works in the United States and Israel to achieve more just and inclusive societies. Eisen leads Schusterman’s Jewish community grantmaking portfolio and its gender and reproductive equity grantmaking portfolio.